When the Colorado Avalanche took Joey Hishon with the 17th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, they knew they were taking a bit of a risk. At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, some scouts questioned whether Hishon’s size would limit his effectiveness in the NHL. On top of that the Stratford, Ont., native had to battle through a nagging foot injury and was limited to just 36 games in his draft year.

Regardless of the question marks surrounding Hishon’s health and size the Avalanche knew they were getting a highly skilled forward who could play in all situations. And after the impressive numbers the 19-year-old center put up this year in Owen Sound (37 goals and 87 points in 50 games) Colorado has to be feeling pretty good about the choice.